


Milkshakes and Fries

by harleyshood



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Gotham City Sirens (Comics)
Genre: Abuse Mentions, Cute friendships, F/M, Unlikely Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 02:09:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4901485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harleyshood/pseuds/harleyshood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What he did to me… and what he did to you… They’re two completely different things, Quinn."<br/>“I just… I don’t know if I made the right decision, Hood."<br/>“You know what, Harley? It’s almost dinner time. Let’s grab a bite to eat."<br/>***<br/>Harley Quinn and Jason Todd bond over their torture at the hands of the Joker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Milkshakes and Fries

Jason Todd’s domain was a very specific and unique part of Gotham. The infamy of Red Hood as a vigilante that had no qualms over killing- unlike Batman, who had garnered the respect of villains by refraining from doing so- made his territory safe. Businesses lived with little fear of being robbed or held at gun point, women could walk the streets safely as long as they stayed in this part of town, and children felt safe enough to play in the one small park with only their mothers to safeguard them. People smiled in this part of Gotham, almost like it was a part of a different place entirely, where the sun shone perpetually and everyone was happy. 

 

Jason Todd, of course, knew this perception of safety was a crock of shit, as it required his constant vigilance, attention, patrolling, bargaining, and avoidance of police. Keeping even this small chunk of Gotham safe was a round-the-clock job. Jason had developed a newfound appreciation for Batman, who had served as his old mentor, for managing to keep the entire city relatively safe. Although he would never admit that. So, when his alert went off notifying him that somebody had broken into a toy store in broad daylight, he was not the least bit surprised. Well. He was surprised that somebody had broken into a _toy store_ , of all places.

 

He should have known it was her before he even got there. He really should have.

 

Harley Quinn had recently struck out on her own and left the Joker, but Jason didn’t know that. Really, only Harley and her closest confidante, Poison Ivy, knew that. So, when Jason saw her, shoving toys into a sack and sobbing so much that her clown makeup had streaked down her face, it actually startled him. She looked like a sad clown painting. It was shockingly terrifying, given Harley’s normally childish nature- which only a fool would underestimate. Many fools had ended up in Gotham City Cemetery for making such assumptions, actually. 

 

“Red?” Harley let out pathetically.

 

“I’m thinking that I’m the wrong Red,” Jason said, coming out from his hiding place in the shadows. Harley stared at Jason with wide, sorrow-filled eyes. Oddly childish, given that she was a well-educated doctor and definitely smarter than she let on. Sometimes Jason thought Harley might even be the smartest of the Gotham rogues.

 

“I left him. It happened ages ago, really, and I should have done it even longer ago than that. Psychologically, you know, it’ll leave lasting scars… I was trying to find somebody who might understand.” 

 

Jason suddenly understood what she wanted. She assumed that, since they’d both been tortured at the hands of the Joker, he might be able to help.

 

“What he did to me… and what he did to you… They’re two completely different things, Quinn,” Jason told her, slightly uncomfortable, rocking back on his heels. He wasn’t one for feelings. He really wasn’t.

 

“I just… I don’t know if I made the right decision, Hood,” Harley sniffed. Jason stared at the girl who had gone through much more than she ever should have. He was only slightly younger than she was. 

 

“You know what, Harley? It’s almost dinner time. Let’s grab a bite to eat,” Jason resigned. 

Walking around midday, one dressed like one of the most feared vigilantes in the city and the other dressed as a goddamn clown renowned for murdering people at the drop of a hat- which Jason never understood. Never really understood Harley as a whole, to be honest. He’s not entirely sure anybody understands her. They head for a diner that Jason normally frequents when he finishes up on patrol- the cast of waiters and waitresses different than they normally are at 4 and 5 AM. They get odd looks and, honestly, this is just a downright terrible idea, but Jason’s always a sucker for a crying girl and what the hell else is he supposed to do with her? It’s goddamn broad daylight outside. And she’s goddamn Harley Quinn- if he doesn’t deal with this, who knows what she’ll do? 

Harley orders fries and a strawberry milkshake. Jason’s normal order is practically identical, but with a chocolate shake instead. They sit in silence- Harley looks like she’s contemplating something, whereas Jason just looks flat out uncomfortable. 

“Everybody thought I was crazy, ya know? I mean, they still do, ‘cuz I kinda am, but this is different. Was different. It wasn’t just me being a little out ‘a control. He ruined my life,” Harley says, looking off into the distance and not at Hood. Nowhere near Hood. Harley Quinn doesn’t need help, doesn’t need a shoulder to cry on- she’s strong, she’s immune to toxins and has super strength. She can do _anything_. But. This is hard. 

Jason smirks under his helmet. He can certainly relate. 

“Y’know, Quinn, after I came back to life, I wanted to kill him. Not the Joker. Not even him. I wanted him dead, sure, but I wanted Bats to kill him. To have avenged me, right? And I came back, and he _wasn’t dead_. He had killed me, and Batman _let him live_. It’s like he controls everything. Even when you think he’s not there, even when he’s locked up, he’s the one in control. We’re all puppets to him,” Jason leans back slightly, remembering the times he had almost killed Bruce. It had been… a bad time in his life. Or, well, afterlife.

“Yeah… I was so young. So naive. At first I thought I could change him. Thought I knew him better than everyone else. Then I just got addicted. It’s a classic sign of an abuse victim,” Harley made a face. 

“Not so used to thinking of yourself as a victim, are ya, Quinn?” Jason asked, leaning forward again. 

“It’s hard to imagine that a girl like me would ever be a victim, Hood,” Harley grinned at him. 

“Hey, it coulda happened to the best of us. I mean, look at me,” Jason smiled back, although Harley couldn’t see him. 

“Y’know, Hood, you ain’t half bad,” Harley informed him, leaning forward and swiping a fry into her milkshake. 

“Y’know, Quinn, neither are you,” Jason responded. 

Talking was nice. Which shocked Jason. And Harley, too. She loved Poison Ivy- really she did- but even her best friend wasn’t chatty. Didn’t want to talk to Harley about things like the Joker and his affect on her. It was kind of a sore spot, Harley knew, given everything that had happened between her and Ivy. Jason. Well, Jason just hadn’t had anyone to talk to. Even with Talia, it had been… complicated. Everything about Talia was complicated. And she was the best he was going to get- every time he brought up his death at the hands of the Joker around his family, they shut down. And, well. Harleen Quinzel _was_ a licensed psychiatrist.

***

Pamela Isley could not find her energetic compatriot _anywhere_. 

And do you know what’s worrisome?

Harley Quinn disappearing. 

Poison Ivy had already checked Harley’s usual places, checked with Selina, checked with Harvey, checked with Eddie- hell, she’d even checked Arkham, and, in disguise, checked the police station. 

Harley Quinn was nowhere to be found. Pam was tempted to ask a Bat for help, at this point. 

It’s not like Harley hadn’t disappeared before it’s just that. Well, it had never ended well before, especially since she hadn’t even left a note. 

Where _was_ she?

Ivy had one last resort. Then. Then she would have to go to the Bats. She _really_ didn’t want to go to the Bats. 

It was Selina’s suggestion to go see him, really. Ivy didn’t question how Selina knew where he was staying- the great Cat had picked up a few tricks whilst dating the Bat. 

Ivy kicked down the door- not even bothering to knock- because, well, she never was one for subtleties. She preferred making grand statements. 

She was shocked, however, when her first look into the apartment gave a view of a clean-faced, but familiar, blonde playing Mario Kart, while a now-angry looking Jason Todd- sans mask, because he wasn’t exactly expecting an infamous bio-terrorist to break down his apartment door- looking back at her.

“Hiya, Red!” Harley grinned, more chipper than she had been in a long time. Ivy shot Jason a very confused look.

“I hope you realize you’re paying for that door,” Jason frowned. Right. The door.

“Don’tcha worry, Jay, I’ll pay for the door!” Harley exclaimed, leaning over. She was playing the Rainbow Road course, and hadn’t fallen off once. Honestly, Jason was pretty impressed, and kind of wanted to pit her against his brothers just to watch her kick their asses. 

“I’ll hold you to that, Harls,” Jay said, turning back to his book. 

Ivy just stared at the very, _very_ unusual pair, while being very confused.

***

Ivy never got an explanation, but when she and Harley went to leave the apartment a bit later, she did get more confused.

“Same time next week?” Jason smiled at Harley as he leaned against the door.

“Sure thing, Todd! No costumes this time, right?” Harley grinned up at him.

“Of course. I’ll see ya then. And stay outta trouble, will ya?” Jason requested.

“No promises,” Harley responded, waving as she walked away.

“Care to explain, Harley?” Pam asked, once they got on the elevator in Jason’s building.

“Nah. I think I wanna keep this between me an’ Jay,” Harley said. Pam just nodded, still confused, but accepting that sometimes Harley needed things that Pam wouldn’t understand.

*** 

Once a week, every week, an excitable blonde girl with pigtails and pure white skin and a sullen boy with black white-streaked hair and bright green eyes sit for dinner in the same diner, eating french fries and drinking milkshakes.

It’s pretty strange, but then again, what isn’t strange in Gotham?

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work on AO3 and I worked pretty hard on it, actually. I know this could be slightly OOC, given that some people can't really imagine a friendship between Harley and Jason, but they're my favorite comic book characters and I think they would totally bond over the Joker and being considered a little bit crazy. It's kinda short and I only spent a few days on it, but hopefully people like it and will want me to write more stuff!


End file.
